This content was originally published in the London Free Press on Jan 29, 2021 and was written by Norman De Bono.
A Dorchester manufacturer will make a move to London, building a new industrial plant here as its sales have grown about 40 per cent annually, the company president says.
Bos Innovations, makers of a broad range of machinery, has bought an 3.4-hectare parcel of land in Innovation Park for a new 5,575-square-metre plant.
“It’s a natural progression for our company. This location will give us the flexibility for future growth and expansion,” said the company’s president, Ben Huigenbos.
“We want to build a state-of-the art plant for innovation.”
Bos makes custom automation and robotics systems, machinery that manufactures parts to supply different industries, including Magna and Martinrea automotive parts plants and Toyota assembly operations. It also does a lot of work in the energy sector, he said.
The new property is more than twice the 1.4 hectares it has on Hudson Drive in Dorchester for its 3,700 sq. m plant, said Huigenbos.
Bos employs about 120, but it is forecasting growth and hiring of about 20 per cent.
“I think 20 per cent additional staff would be a conservative estimate,” he said. “This will allow us to continue growth and provide a better working environment.”
Bos Innovation has been in business since 2008. It has averaged about 40 per cent annual sales growth annually during the last four years, he said.
“You might call us a systems integrator or an automation company. There is a high degree of interest in the industry to automate at a higher level.”
The Innovation Park land purchase was finalized at city council recently.
“Bos is a great addition to Innovation Park. They do work in high-tech, advanced manufacturing that is crucial to the sustainability and growth of advanced manufacturing,” said Kapil Lakhotia of the London Economic Development Corp.
“They are the future of manufacturing.”
Plans are to break ground in the spring at the site, in the area of Bradley Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway, next to the Dr. Oetker plant. It will take about a year until production begins in the new location.
“This is just awesome,” said Jason Bates, general manager of the London Region Manufacturing Council.
“This is such an exciting time in the whole region. The auto investment in Southwestern Ontario is mind-boggling.”
That investment will increase as Cami Assembly in Ingersoll, which makes the Chevrolet Equinox vehicle, will begin assembling a new, electric commercial van later this year.
“Electrification at Cami will benefit Bos. It’s a high-value, high-tech industry. It’s well suited to that work,” Bates said.
The land sale to Bos is the latest in what has been a busy time for city hall’s real estate division. It sold 22 hectares of land in 2020, nine parcels of land in three industrial parks, said Bill Warner, manager of realty services for the city.
That’s a spike from 2019 when 10 hectares were sold and 2018 when 5.6 hectares changed hands.
“For the past three years we have had a very strong market. There has been a lot of demand. Even in the pandemic we had a good year,” Warner said.
He cites economic growth and a successful industrial land development strategy for the demand.
